Project Overview
A Wood Products facility in Hosford, Florida faced increasing operational strain within its Thermal Catalytic Oxidizer (TCO) system. To maintain required capture efficiency in the press area, and remain compliant with environmental permitting requirements from the state of Florida—the plant increased extraction volumes. This operational change led to higher fan speeds and elevated chamber temperatures, pushing both the existing burners and fan systems to their design limits.
Compounding the issue, catalyst degradation over time required even higher operating temperatures to maintain performance. Without intervention, the TCO system risked becoming a production bottleneck. The facility needed a comprehensive engineering solution to increase heat input capacity, upgrade gas delivery systems, and ensure continued compliance with NFPA 86 and internal operational standards.
Engineering Objective
The project’s primary objective was to deliver a Bid-Level P4 engineering design package to support replacement of four existing burners with larger-capacity units capable of delivering a combined 36 MMBTUH heat input. In addition to burner replacement, the upgrade required resizing and redesigning both primary and secondary gas trains to safely support increased fuel demand.
Operating chamber temperatures were expected to increase significantly—from approximately 800°F to 1650°F or higher—requiring careful evaluation of process, structural, instrumentation, and electrical systems. The solution also needed to operate under a “one out, all out” burner control philosophy without requiring changes to the existing Burner Management System (BMS), while remaining compliant with NFPA 86.
Scope of Work
The engineering scope included:
- Replacement of four existing burners with higher-capacity units
- Design and documentation for five new gas trains (primary and secondary)
- Evaluation and redesign of pressure regulation systems
- Addition of a new 4-inch natural gas feed line from an existing 6-inch header
- Structural and process design modifications
- Electrical upgrades to support increased fan horsepower
- Instrumentation enhancements for monitoring and control
- Development of detailed P&IDs, drawings, and material take-offs
- Commissioning planning and documentation management through Autodesk Build
A supplemental scope was later added to evaluate the existing pressure regulator and revise instrumentation arrangements based on updated client requirements, further refining the overall system design.
Project Execution & Coordination
This was a large, multi-disciplinary project involving process, piping, electrical, and instrumentation coordination across multiple vendors and stakeholders. Engineering resources adapted to personnel changes within instrumentation and controls, ensuring continuity and completion without schedule impact.
The piping design component required careful integration of third-party burner and gas train data. Vendor documentation was reviewed, reconciled, and supplemented where gaps were identified to ensure constructability and compliance. Throughout execution, proactive communication with the client was prioritized—particularly when identifying potential concerns in vendor documentation or scope clarity. The client expressed appreciation for this transparency, recognizing the engineering team as a collaborative extension of their internal project team.
Despite its complexity, the project was delivered on schedule with strong internal coordination and structured project tracking.
Conclusion
This burner and gas train upgrade positioned the Hosford facility to meet increased extraction requirements, operate at significantly higher chamber temperatures, and maintain compliance with environmental and safety standards. By delivering a comprehensive P4-level design package, proactively identifying sizing gaps, and coordinating across multiple stakeholders, the project reinforced the value of disciplined engineering execution in high-impact plant upgrades.
The result was not simply increased capacity—but improved system resilience, regulatory confidence, and operational stability for years to come.
